<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Art of War (Konoha Clan Politics’ style) by LinaThanatos</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27502264">The Art of War (Konoha Clan Politics’ style)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaThanatos/pseuds/LinaThanatos'>LinaThanatos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clan Politics, Fugaku is done, Gen, Konoha is a Military Dictatorship, Kyuubi Attack divergence, Minato and Fugaku are BFF, Minato is just nice about it, Minato lives - Hiruzen dies, Uzumaki in Konoha, Uzushio siege divergence, Worldbuilding, heads will roll when this is over</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 02:55:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,659</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27502264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaThanatos/pseuds/LinaThanatos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“This is preposterous! That Hatake teaching our Clan Heir! Fugaku-sama! This cannot be allowed! It is an insult to Sasuke-sama, to our honour as Uchiha! To the Uchiha name itself!“</p><p>It is that time of the year. The days are long, the Academy teachers are in a frenzy, and the Hokage must match hardened, cold-blooded killers with naive, bright-eyed pre-teens to make working Ninja units.</p><p>As if his work wasn’t hard enough, some entitled Clan Elders believe they have the right to tell him how to do his Job.</p><p>And of course, It had to be Fugaku’s Clan Elders. Because he couldn’t just spend this blessedly cool Saturday afternoon simply catching up on work.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Namikaze Minato &amp; Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Fugaku/Uchiha Mikoto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Art of War (Konoha Clan Politics’ style)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, I’m back again, with yet another worldbuilding fic that is in fact just a background story for a larger fic that is yet to be finished or published.</p><p>This time, it’s in the Naruto Fandom, set in a world where Minato survived the Kyuubi Attack and (though mostly irrelevant as it is referred to only tangentially) there were far more Uzumaki survivours to the Siege of Uzushio, and they live in Konoha.</p><p>There may be more short Worldbuilding fics on this series before the main story comes up.</p><p>Enjoy! And all constructive criticism is most welcome, including spelling and grammar (that I’m awful at, both in English and my native tongue)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is preposterous! That <em>Hatake</em> teaching our Clan Heir! Fugaku-sama! This cannot be allowed! It is an insult to Sasuke-sama, to our honour as Uchiha! To the Uchiha name itself!”</p><p>Fugaku remained in impassive silence in the face of Elder Eichi’s tirade. In fact, he made a point of keeping every single muscle in position throughout the whole spiel, eyes fixed on his actual guest.</p><p>Fugaku had to admit to himself he was biased when it came to said guest. He tended to support Minato’s choices and decisions with much more fervour and leniency than he did anybody else —except, perhaps, his wife.</p><p>He allowed that thought to speak for itself in his mind for an instant.</p><p>Despite their age difference, they had fought many battles together, and had each other’s backs through all sorts of horrors and nuisances during the last war. And despite —in fact, in spite of— what many may have said, he had very little interest in the Hokage’s hat. He was Clan Head of the Uchiha, and he had watched with his own eyes how the Sarutobi Clan’s power and standing in the village had slowly dwindled during Hiruzen-sama’s reign.</p><p>(The less said about the Senju case, the better).</p><p>No, he had no time to waste at the Hokage tower, he already had desks piled high with paperwork both at his house and the Police headquarters.</p><p>Never mind (<em>most importantly</em>), his sons loved the man (and Minato loved them right back, but —details). Even with his recent <em>assignment</em>, Itachi’s admiration for the man hadn’t faltered. On the contrary, despite being stuck in the dark and grimy underbelly of shinobi life, his elder son’s respect and love for his Hokage had only grown.</p><p>He doubted there could be a higher recommendation than that (but, as he had said, he was biased).</p><p>So yes, he tended to support Minato’s choices with more regularity than his clan elders apparently deemed acceptable.</p><p>On the other hand, he was also terribly biased in favour of his clan, and Minato knew this. It’s why the Hokage tended to go personally to him to present potentially conflicting situations, and kept most of their political <em>debates</em> behind closed doors. A courtesy, in any case, because Konoha was anything but a democracy. But founding and noble clans still held some clout.</p><p>Nevertheless. The elders of the clan seemed to have overused their Sharingan during the years, if they couldn’t see the benefits of this arrangement. For Team Seven was not just any other team. It was no random assemblage of varied, not yet specialised genin thrown together in hopes that they would turn into a cohesive unit in some distant future. No. Team Seven was a unit that came up only when the previous iteration was ready to train a unit of its own. It was a meticulous selection of powerful, versatile genin with as little defined training as possible, and as wide a variety of talents as found in the academy. It was a careful conglomeration of <em>potential</em>, designed specifically to expose the genin to varied techniques and areas of expertise and interest, created for the sole purpose to train the successors of the village.</p><p><em>He</em> had no interest in (and was long past his time for) the hat. Itachi didn’t get the chance, nor was he meant to have one. He was Clan Heir, and ANBU, and it was a carefully kept secret of the higher echelons of Konoha that ANBU were <em>not</em> considered Hokage candidates. For the very traits that made them excellent black operatives were, despite popular opinion, the same traits that made them ill suited for the top —unquestioning loyalty, ruthless efficiency and utter fearlessness in the face of death were, though prime qualities of a soldier, rather questionable characteristics in a general. A Kage could never be unquestioning of anyone, should always approach matters with measured caution and empathy, and must always have a healthy dose of fear for the life of their soldiers and themselves, for they embody and lead not only an army, but a peoples’ ideals and future.</p><p>It would be difficult enough for Itachi when he took over the Headship of the clan. His quiet, calm disposition, so like his mother, although maybe even more effective than most to lead, were not a good match to the abrasive tempers of the Clan Elders. Fortunately, his early start as a jounin and his long, successful career in the black ops would give him the reputation to back up his soft-spoken demeanour.</p><p>No, Itachi had little chance of reaching the top seat of Konoha.</p><p>Sasuke, on the other hand...</p><p>He would have <em>every chance</em>.</p><p>(So had Obito, for that matter, but the precedent hadn’t been set so evidently at the time, and his father in law had been, like the current elders, too short sighted to realise who exactly he was ostracising. There’s no use crying over spilt milk, though, as they say).</p><p>Even if, Amaterasu-sama forbid, Itachi were to pass before his time and Sasuke should take on the mantle as Head of the Uchiha clan, being part of team seven all but ensured him a place in the Hokage’s personal advisory council. Or the chance to lead the next team seven.</p><p>But how to say this in a diplomatic way? (In other words, how to say this in a way that would smooth the feathers of his ruffled councilmen and yet still bring down their bloated egos).</p><p>“So, an Uchiha and an Uzumaki, again?”</p><p>“Well, it worked out the first time, didn’t it?” Minato answered with a light nod of his head to Mikoto, and a smile that he reserved exclusively for the memory of his wife. It was a small and soft thing, a weary, worn out tilt of his lips with the weathered roughness of one who had long lost the love of his life.</p><p>And oh, by the gods, had it worked. It had worked like an Amaterasu-blessed charm (or a Hachiman-damned curse, depending on who you asked). Fiery and icy temperaments had complemented each other as fittingly as their reciprocal fire and water affinities. Goddesses in the field, they were; the cloak and the dagger, the shadow and the monster within, Mikoto and Kushina had taken the Third Shinobi World War by storm and left ash, fear and legend in their wake. Konoha was poorer for the loss of this partnership.</p><p>It was clever of Minato to revive it in their sons. Is was clever of him to bring up exactly what power and respect the duo had wielded both on and off the field, over enemies and allies alike, if in different manners.</p><p>His Elders could at least see that much. Surely.</p><p>(Why couldn’t the elders of his clan be active ninja so Minato could send them to a very necessary mandatory psyche eval? His authority as clan head only allowed him to demand his clan members had a yearly health check. Maybe he could suggest to Minato to make it so that protocol included a basic mental health assessment in general health checks... that’s a thought</p><p>But he digressed.)</p><p>“That it did,” he continued as soon as he reined back his rambling thoughts. “We can only hope the sons can follow in their mothers’ footsteps.”</p><p>“I have no doubt they will succeed,” added Mikoto, the softness of her voice at odds with the steel in her eyes, and every inch the proud kunoichi he loved.</p><p>Minato’s answering nod would have passed for perfectly satisfied if he wasn’t intimately familiar with the man’s tells and nuances when emoting. He would have frowned in query, but his mind helpfully replayed the last seconds of conversation to him, and he had to keep himself from wincing instead. He could have worded that better.</p><p>Thank all the gods for his wife and her far quicker mind.</p><p>“Hatake Kakashi is still an unacceptable a Jounin-sensei for the Uchiha Clan heir, Fugaku-sama.” This time it was Elder Hiroaki the one to speak up, calmer but no less judgemental.</p><p>And that was the crux of the matter, as far as his Council of elders was concerned. Hatake Kakashi, bearer of an implanted Sharingan by the dying wish of his teammate, the once carelessly under appreciated clan orphan and now war martyr Uchiha Obito. A man who had built half his renown and infamy on his mastery of said doujutsu despite the clan’s refusal to allow him access to any resources or materials to better train on its use and abilities. A source of wounded pride and arrogant spite among most of the members of the Uchiha Clan.</p><p>And the unquestionable captain of the new team seven. As the only remaining member of the last version of the unit, it was his prerogative and his honour to lead the next.</p><p>A diplomatic nightmare, it was.</p><p>The truth he had only ever told Minato was that he believed the dying wish of a fellow Shinobi should be honoured as long as no risk was brought to the village or clan.</p><p>The bottom line was, there was no law or clan norm that prohibited the willing donation of a Sharingan to an outsider, because no one had ever believed it possible for an Uchiha to wish it so.</p><p>Technically speaking, a certified medic of Konoha was considered by the law of the village as a minister of faith, and their word stood as proof of fact.</p><p>The issue was, <em>this</em> particular medic had been known to be <em>partial</em> to the Hatake, resulting in not so quiet accusations of a conflict of interest.</p><p>And then that very medic had been killed by Hatake himself in an incident shrouded in mystery and suspicion.</p><p>And so not only was Kakashi Son of That Hatake, but Eye thief, and then Friend Killer.</p><p>The Uchiha elders very reasonably didn’t want their Heir to be involved in any manner with a figure mired by that much suspicion and disgrace.</p><p>(Minato had cried. That had been the first time he had seen Minato break down and cry.</p><p>Two weeks after the catastrophic failed rescue and the death of his second student, his third and last remaining one just found pale as death in a pool of his own blood and barely pulled back from the brink, Minato had broken down and wept to him the horrors of that night. The tragedy that the special autopsy had revealed, the cruelty of twisted honour, and the irreparable and irreversible damage done to the already fragile psyche of his first and last student.</p><p>He had felt like screaming himself, that night)</p><p>In the end, though, Hatake Kakashi was a loyal shinobi of Konoha, and the opinions of others mattered very little as long as he did his duty and was deemed fit for it by the responsible parties.</p><p>“He will not be involved in matters of the Sharingan.” His voice was harsh and sharp, delivered as a demand, even if it was simply a cue to allow Minato the chance to resolve the matter promptly.</p><p>“Of course not,” answered Minato, as if replying to a curious student, and not walking a political minefield. “The training of doujutsu and any clan technique is, as the law states, the prerogative and sole purview of the Clan. This case shall not be different in any way to any other genin cell.”</p><p>It was all Fugaku could do to keep himself from snorting. Right. Just like any other genin team.</p><p>“Hatake-san seems to be the only reasonable alternative, seeing as both Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-dono are unviable choices,” continued Mikoto, as if reflecting on the weather, and not the fragile state of the village’s line of succession.</p><p>“Indeed,” and Minato somehow made it sound as if the self-exile of two of Konoha’s most powerful shinobi was mere happenstance, “Sensei’s duties keep him out of the Village for too long to be suitable. And Tsunade-dono, though still occasionally lending assistance to the Hospital administration, is officially retired, and that is a choice ThisOffice is unwilling to encroach upon unless dire circumstances demand otherwise.”</p><p>No need to state what “dire circumstances” meant.</p><p>“At the very least, Hatake has proved he can be trusted with the safety of his charges.” Fugaku knew it was a cruel thing to say, considering the young man’s history. But it was the one selling point he had to offer the Uchiha Elders. Because he had.</p><p>As a result as the not-as-planned-as-you-might-think baby boom after the last War, most clan Heirs or seconds were of an age, and as a result, their safety and security had become a Village Matter. Thus, the Clan Heirs’ guard had been established, and organised by the shinobi council. It originally consisted mostly of members of the clans involved, but ANBU had taken the fact that Naruto-kun was considered Heir to the Uzumaki as invitation, and no one had dared to question their involvement in the face of their dark shrouds and blank masks.</p><p>And all complains behind their backs had died swift deaths after the attempted kidnapping of the Hyuuga heiress from her own bed. The recovery of many clan children through the dismantling of ROOT by the Hokage and his ANBU had disabused any remaining reservations and opposition.</p><p>Hatake had been instrumental in said operation. He had later on singlehandedly stopped at least three assassination attempts on the heirs. One specifically an attempted eye theft.</p><p>His reputation as an efficient bodyguard of untrained charges was well known and irrefutable.</p><p>Less known but far more telling was his reputation as captain. A genius of Orochimaru and Minato’s calibre, he wouldn’t trust 99% of Konoha to be able to accurately judge his skill and character. But Fugaku had the benefit of easy access to some of the greatest minds in the field, and they had access to first hand evidence on the matter.</p><p>(“Hatake is unstable, in that he is very driven by his trauma. Fortunately for us, his trauma drives him precisely where Konoha needs him to go.”</p><p>“Kitsune-taichou does not allow for failure. With him, you know no one will be left behind.”</p><p>“Kakashi’s methods are a little unconventional, for sure. He’s far more likely to subtly manipulate you into choosing to train in what he sees will be best for your potential than to expressly point it out, and is just as likely to ease you into a new skill as he is to put you in the spot for the learning opportunity it can be. But he can see in his subordinates the potential for greatness and unearth hidden strengths that the conventional road may have left buried by tradition.”)</p><p>So his elders would have to swallow their pride and suffer the <em>unspeakable ignominy</em> of the Uchiha heir being trained by and under the command of one of Konoha’s strongest and most influential operatives.</p><p>Eichi’s lips pursed in that particular way Fugaku had quickly learnt to hate, and he desperately repressed the impulse to roll his eyes.</p><p>“Last we knew, Konoha’s Jounin division was the largest in all of the Elemental Countries. Surely, it is still so, and Hokage-sama must have no difficulty finding a better alternative.”</p><p>Fugaku may have felt the need to hold back a palm to his face, if he wasn’t so busy planning for the idiot’s political funeral. He dearly hope this imbecile realised that, were Minato any less kind, he would be dead where he stood for the insult.</p><p>Minato himself simply unsheathed the more subtle of his blades before staging his counter attack.</p><p>“Why of course it is. Neither This Office or the Shinobi Counsil would allow any less,” started the blond with the mildest of tones and the blandest of smiles. “Many serve under your Clan Head in the Police, many more sustain the perimeter guard, and a great number lead the key support systems that, since the very beginning, Konoha’s large numbers and infrastructure have required.</p><p>“But you must understand,” and Minato somehow made it sound like he was truly engaging the Uchiha Elder in sympathy, “the education of the future generations is no trivial matter.” The Hokage’s delicate entreaty and seemingly naive earnestness were weapons onto themselves, going all the way around to sardonic condescension, much to Fugaku’s delight. “Thus, the selection of suitable Jounin from among the corps is a delicate matter that must balance the needs of both the students and Konoha’s organisation. It is an unfortunate but inescapable fact that well rounded, capable individuals with both the leadership skills and teaching mindset required of a Teacher-Captain are usually in high command or sensitive positions, and their removal always entails a great loss for whichever branch of our military they must leave. So, you see, though Jounin are in great abundance, Jounin with the qualifications to be Teacher-Captains are difficult to recruit without consequence to the structure of our command —not if we want to keep up our standards when it comes to Teacher-Captain requirements.”</p><p>Fugaku greatly suspected Eichi-dono may have still not realised he had been spectacularly cut down.</p><p>Fortunately Hiroaki was far quicker on the uptake, and responded before his colleague could further embarrass himself and his fellow Uchiha.</p><p>“Two other Jounin have been newly selected to be part of the Teacher-Captain ranks. Of them, Sarutobi Asuma has great experience in the field, has an equally impressive reputation and is, without question, capable of protecting his charges.”</p><p>“I understand why you would think so,” Minato answered in a far more neutral tone. “True, Sarutobi-san is a accomplished shinobi, with a varied mission repertoire and remarkable skills. But he lacks a certain flexibility as a result from his experiences that Team Seven requires,” <em>i.e.: he is not part of a Team Seven</em>, Fugaku whimsically translated to himself. “He is a powerful and proficient wielder of all Shinobi skills, but there are certain limitations that make him less than suitable for a team such as Team Seven. His taijutsu is, though not limited, less varied in style than ideal for this team, more fit for a team with a solid base but not beyond the basics. His ninjutsu is remarkable, and his chakra skills are one of his greatest assets, but his mastery is focused on two elements, and his iryo-ninjutsu, though above average, is not at a level that he can teach others. And though he is just as great a strategist, and his skills in diplomacy, infiltration and sabotage all but equal to Hatake, he lacks expertise in areas such as sealing, espionage and less traditional weaponry, among others. No. This team demands a particularly leadership that Sarutobi-san cannot offer.”</p><p>Maybe now his Elder Council would understand exactly what they were opposing to. Because, it wasn’t even a lie. Hatake Kakashi was all of the above, and more. He doubted anyone since Orochimaru had so much skill and intelligence and natural talent all combined to create what amounted to the perfect shinobi. There was simply no one else better. There was honestly no one Fugaku considered more suitable to be his son’s Jounin-sensei.</p><p>In any case, it was all a moot point.</p><p>The decision was made already, and Fugaku agreed with it from the get go. He would just prefer it if his Clan’s inner politics didn’t suffer unnecessarily because of it.</p><p>(And Minato knew. Thus why he came here today, and made the announcement as a proposal before the Uchiha heads and councilmen.</p><p>Really, sometimes he couldn’t help but think Minato shouldn’t be so kind, even if said kindness usually was to Fugaku’s benefit.)</p><p>“If you believe his qualifications to be subpar,” —Fugaku didn’t restrain himself this time, but Eichi, in his wisened entitlement, was insensate to his Clan Head’s reproach, and went on— “why consider him as prospect teacher for the new teams at all?”</p><p>“I do not believe him an unsuitable Teacher-Captain at all.” And there it was again. In all fairness, such a bland smile should <em>not</em> have such a razor edge. The Hokage’s gaze, though, was far less deceiving this time. “He would not be a candidate otherwise. I simply consider he is not the best choice for a team comprised of an Uchiha, an Uzumaki and a second generation kunoichi with no preset notions of her capabilities.”</p><p>“It seems,” Hiroashi took over again, and Fugaku would have to thank him when this whole clusterfuck was over, “Hatake’s qualifications do make up for his... lesser station.”</p><p>Or not.</p><p>“What ever could you mean, Hiroashi-san?” Responded Minato with once again insulting obliviousness “I know he does not come from a Noble Clan but, as the last member of a founding clan of Konoha and the son of a once Hokage candidate, I’d think he is of most suitable pedigree”</p><p>Silence followed, as it always did after the mention of the White Fang’s once unknownand seldom acknowledged achievement.</p><p>“In any case,” Minato continued with far more cheer that the occasion deserved. “I’m pleased we are all in understanding. Hatake Kakashi will take the leadership of Team Seven upon their graduation from the academy this coming March, and will remain their Captain for as long as the unit proves useful, should they pass his test.”</p><p>And without waiting for a response, he stood, and thus the matter was settled.</p><p>With far less formality, he turned to Mikoto as she stood, a relieved smile belying the mischief in his eyes. “In all honesty, I’m glad we could reach this agreement. The only other viable candidate I could find was Mitarashi Anko, and for all her superb skills, she has still to master the... subtleties of teaching”</p><p>One look at Mikoto’s unguarded smile and sparking eyes, and at the outraged spluttering of the wrinkled nuisances that passed for his clan Elders, and Fugaku knew, this made every torturous second of the last hour worth it.</p><p>And, from his not-so-innocent smile, Minato fully agreed with him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Did I just imply Minato/Fugaku/Mikoto?</p><p>Yes, I did.</p><p>Will it ever come to be?</p><p>No, it won‘t.<br/>Blame Minato. He’s very much Love-of-his-life-sexual in this fic.</p><p>But don’t worry, you can commiserate with Mikoto and Fugaku, who have been (not so) subtly trying to get themselves a piece of blonde unsuccessfully for the last decade.</p><p>(Am I in love with this Fugaku?</p><p>Yes I am)</p><p>(Is this Fugaku low-key head-over-heels in love with Minato as much as Mikoto?</p><p>Yes he is)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>